Brazil biodiesel inventor Sa Parente dead at 70

The Brazilian scientist credited with inventing biodiesel has died at the age of 70 of an intestinal condition.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said in a statement Tuesday that Jose de Sa Parente had "created biodiesel, a source of pride for all Brazilians," adding that production of the plant-based fuel had helped reduce rural poverty.

Brazil is the second largest producer of biofuels in the world, after the United States, and has 74 plants capable of producing six million cubic meters of biofuels a year.

In 2010 Brazil's production hit 2.4 million cubic meters, and the process involved some 276,000 farmers.